The New Warfare

It will now be necessary, in order to insure the continuity of the
narrative, to lay before the reader a brief sketch of the course of
events in Europe from the actual commencement of hostilities on a
general scale between the two immense forces which may be most
conveniently designated as the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance and the Franco-
Slavonian League.

In order that these two terms may be fully understood, it will be well
to explain their general constitution. When the two forces, into which
the declaration of war ultimately divided the nations of Europe, faced
each other for the struggle which was to decide the mastery of the
Western world, the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance consisted primarily of
Britain, Germany, and Austria, and, ranged under its banner, whether
from choice or necessity, stood Holland, Belgium, and Denmark in the
north-west, with Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey in the south-west.

Egypt was strongly garrisoned for the land defence of the Suez Canal and
the high road to the East by British, Indian, and Turkish troops.
British and Belgian troops held Antwerp and the fortresses of the
Belgian Quadrilateral in force.

A powerful combined fleet of British, Danish, and Dutch war vessels of
all classes held the approaches by the Sound and Kattegat to the Baltic
Sea, and co-operated in touch with the German fleet; the Dutch and the
German having, at any rate for the time being, and under the pressure of
irresistible circumstances, laid aside their hereditary national hatred,
and consented to act as allies under suitable guarantees to Holland.

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The co-operation of Denmark had been secured, in spite of the family
connections existing between the Danish and the Russian Courts, and the
rancour still remaining from the old Schleswig-Holstein quarrel, by very
much the same means that had been taken in the historic days of the
Battle of the Baltic. It is true that matters had not gone so far as
they went when Nelson disobeyed orders by putting his telescope to his
blind eye, and engaged the Danish fleet in spite of the signals; but a
demonstration of such overwhelming force had been made by sea and land
on the part of Britain and Germany, that the House of Dagmar had bowed
to the inevitable, and ranged itself on the side of the Anglo-Teutonic
Alliance.

Marshalled against this imposing array of naval and military force stood
the Franco-Slavonian League, consisting primarily of France, Russia, and
Italy, supported--whether by consent or necessity--by Spain,
Portugal, and Servia. The co-operation of Spain had been purchased by
the promise of Gibraltar at the conclusion of the war, and that of
Portugal by the guarantee of a largely increased sphere of influence on
the West Coast of Africa, plus the Belgian States of the Congo.

Roumania and Switzerland remained neutral, the former to be a
battlefield for the neighbouring Powers, and the latter for the present
safe behind her ramparts of everlasting snow and ice. Scandinavia also
remained neutral, the sport of the rival diplomacies of East and West,
but not counted of sufficient importance to materially influence the
colossal struggle one way or the other.